Bells
by K0USAGI
Summary: Loose remake of HGSS. Lyra has turned seventeen and is about to start her Pokemon journey with her best friend, Ethan. When Silver steals a Totodile from Elm, a series of events unfolds that will change their lives forever. Lyra x ?
1. Birthday Cake

**Title:** Bells  
**Characters:** Lyra, Ethan, Silver  
**Rating:** T  
**Universe:** Heart Gold/Soul Silver (Game Universe)

**A/N:** Based on the HG/SS games with some liberties taken. The Lyra in this story may not be completely like the one we see in the anime, but she still retains some traits (outgoing, friendly, slight "tough chick" attitude). The HGSS rival will be known as Silver in this story.

* * *

**1.**

Koffing's body shot through the air on a high-speed collision course with Lyra. She ducked down and felt the porous, gray body graze over the tips of her pigtails before it smashed into the wall behind her. Ply board splintered and rained across the dining hall as the Koffing bore into the steel beneath the faux wood wall. She felt a few fragments dig into the back of her arms and neck, but she continued to run. As she stumbled over an overturned chair, Ethan grabbed her free hand and pulled her along.

The Cyndaquil in her arm moaned and curled against Lyra's breast. The four swells on its back were only mildly warm. In such a weakened state, no threat could summon even meager flames. The blood trickling across its snout sent pangs of guilt through Lyra's heart—if only she had just listened to Silver and escaped…

"Koffing, pursue them!" The thug in the black Team Rocket uniform called. His beloved pokemon hovered out of the wreckage in the wall and it's thick, crusty lips twisted into a grin. Slowly at first, it gained momentum until it was once again hot on Lyra and Ethan's tails.

Lyra's lungs were aching, and the muscles in her thighs stung. She looked back over her shoulder for a split second and shrieked at the smiling face of the monster behind her. Koffing's lips parted and with a mucous-ridden growl, a barrage of hot, foul-smelling steam sprayed in Lyra's face.

"Smog!" She heard the thug call out just moments ago.

"Lyra!" Ethan cried.

Within seconds, she blacked out.

* * *

"I think it's going to be… Cyndaquil." Lyra looked up at the fluffy shapes in the sky and sipped some ginger ale.

"I always saw you picking Chikorita for some reason." Ethan said.

Lyra shook her head, "Nah. Kris chose Chikorita."

When she said her sister's name, Ethan's face took a faint red hue. Lyra knew he would react that way. Ever since fourth grade and the day he revealed to her with a nervous stammer, _"I-I like your older sister."_ It was kind of reaction that Lyra teased him about whenever she had the chance.

He turned away and tried to hide his glowing face. Feigning nonchalance, he took a swig of his cherry soda and tried to come up with some witty response. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to mind.

"Nah, I'm not going to do the grass pokemon thing." Lyra answered as she eyed the decorative gift bag resting near her feet, "Kris already followed that family tradition. You know how I am about tradition."

Ethan tried to stifle a laugh, "Yeah. Cyndaquil would probably be a good choice for you."

"…Did you want Cyndaquil, Ethan?"

He shook his head reassuringly, "No, no! I've actually got a fondness for water types. I've got Riru, remember?"

A cold chill shot up Lyra's spine, "Eh, right."

Ethan stood and brushed some of the grass and dirt from his shorts. The pokeball belt at his hip caught Lyra's eye. She looked away before he could notice and took another sip of ginger ale.

"Speaking of Riru, I've gotta get back to Dr. Elm's lab. We'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Lyra nodded and replied playfully, "But of course."

Ethan tossed the empty soda bottle in a trash bin and was on his way. Lyra turned her interest to the gift bag nestled atop the grass. On the corner of the polka-dotted pink bag was a lacy gift card. On that gift card was her older sister's loopy handwriting and enough heart doodles to fill a hormonal schoolgirl's diary.

_Happy Birthday, Baby Sis! _

_I know everyone's telling you this, but I have to say it too: I am so proud of you. You finished school early, you're growing up into a beautiful young woman, and you're setting out on a journey with so much knowledge that I wish I had before setting off on mine. _

_I can't wait to see you at the Battle Frontier, I know you can make it! _

_That is an attitude that you need to have on a trip like this. Don't ever give up. Sometimes the road will be dark and stormy, and others, it will be bright and sunny—but that doesn't change the fact that there is a road there and you need to get to where you want to be. _

_I love you so much, Lyra. Please take care during your journey and remember that I'm just a call away, and maybe a few towns or regions. _

_PS; Tell Ethan I still say, "No."_

_Love,  
Kris_

Within the bag was a pink and white personal assistant, a Pokegear. When she had seen it earlier, Lyra's eyes lit up with joy and she bounced around the living room. It was a Clefairy model, one of the newest releases from the Pokegear line. Aside from important things such as a digital map of the Johto region and phone service, there was plenty of room for games and music. She planned to take advantage of that feature when she got home.

She picked up the gift bag and stood upon the hill that overlooked the tiny little hamlet of New Bark town. Tomorrow would be the day that she left her hometown, and there was no telling when she would ever be back. Kris had departed from the town nine years ago and still had not returned.

Lyra made her way down the steep, grassy hill and wondered about Kris. She had always been the reckless sister who made decisions without thinking them all the way through. The day that Kris turned ten, she joined the competition among many young pokemon trainers with only one thing in mind, "To be the best."

Their mother was always supportive and even though she cried so much the day Kris left and worried for weeks and weeks, she never once called Kris and asked her to come home. Kris called often, and Lyra always heard her mother telling the neighbors how successful Kris was as a trainer. After only one year, Kris had made it to the Indigo League Tournament.

Despite failing, Kris did not lose hope. Only a year later, they learned that Kris had become an honorary member of the hall of fame. Within months of her acceptance, she became one of the youngest Frontier Brain of the regional Battle Frontier.

"_Jeez, it's going to be a tough act to follow. What the hell do I do? Become a Master? I'm too old to be a prodigy."_

While their mother always spread good word of the town's star, there was one thing that was often said about the prodigy's little sister. She had stuck around to finish high school.

"_Finished a year early. What a prodigy I am."_

"Don't be so down on yourself, Lyra," Ethan would often tell her, "It's not about competing with your sister, it's about going through the experience. Besides, you'll probably run into a lot less snags and stuff since you're older than she was when she started."

That always helped her feel better.

Ethan was a sweet boy, always ready to pick her up when she was down. He had even passed up his own opportunity to skip out on high school and take up a pokemon journey when he was ten. Thus, he was in the same "late start" boat as Lyra.

As Lyra passed the lab of Professor Elm, the sound of aluminum trash cans crashing to the ground jarred her.

"Shit!"

"Professor?" Lyra muttered, taking a step back and peering into the shadows beside his lab.

There was a good distance between her place on the sidewalk and the narrow path between the neighboring wall and the professor's lab. She saw Ethan hunched over near the trash bins. He must have been having another one of his clumsy moments.

Lyra hopped over a small fence and began walking toward Ethan with a wide grin,

"Ethan? You need any help taking that trash out or something?"

He replied with an irritated groan.

"Come on, you trip over your own two feet every day. It's alright to be a little clumsy sometimes."

She picked up the nearest bin and went on.

"Elm didn't get mad about you staying out so late, did he? I was thinking about that on the way back and felt a little bad," Lyra began with a laugh, "But hey, it's our last day in New Bark, and…"

Lyra looked up and fell silent,

"…and you are _not_ Ethan."

"How observant of you." The man said. Lyra did not recognize him at all—tall, with shoulder-length hair, eying her with a look of impending doom.

"Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing here behind Elm's house, I'm calling the police!"

"Shh! I'm planning a surprise party for Elm's assistant tomorrow! Would you keep it down?" He said, the menacing tone suddenly gone from his voice.

Lyra paused to think this over. Upon a closer look, he really did not look much older than nineteen or eighteen. Could he have been another one of Elm's assistants that she did not know? Something did not sit right, but on the other hand, she did know that one of Ethan's friends, Mora, was having a birthday tomorrow. She was a part of Elm's research team.

"Then what are you doing sifting through Elm's garbage?"

"I am not sifting through his garbage, I am just… staking out the area."

"Staking it out for what?"

"For the assistant whose party we're having tomorrow."

"That's not _staking_, that's _stalking_."

"Call it what you will. I have work to do. Weren't you headed somewhere?"

"Hold up, maybe I can help you."

The long-haired man turned away and gave a quiet sigh. Lyra awaited his answer with suspicion. She had definitely never seen this guy before.

"Alright. Come over here."

"…eh, I think I'll stay out in the open where there's like… light and stuff."

"Suit yourself."

"Well, are you looking for something? I can just go in and ask Elm if Mora's there and then tell you."

"Mora… is not there. I am simply finding out what to decorate."

"So you're the decorator now?"

"I said what I said."

"…all the more reason for a girl to help. Move over." Lyra said, stepping across a knocked over bag of trash. She heard the long-haired man mutter something under his breath and she found herself smirking just slightly at his visible annoyance.

Beside him was a window into Professor Elm's lab. The wide lobby led out into a small library and a central research area. Elm himself was sitting on his computer reading an article about grass pokemon. There was little else going on in the lab—the lights were somewhat dim, save for the glow of the lamp on Elm's desk, and it looked as though all of his team members had gone home for the evening.

"Huh… well, that's not a little creepy. You were sitting here staring at Elm while he reads articles about grass pokemon?" Lyra said flatly, "I'm going to be honest with you, man. I don't believe you. Just who do you think you a—aahh!!"

Lyra tried to wiggle out of his grasp as the man scooped her up into his arms and began to carry her away from the lab.

"Let me go! What the… what are you doing, you creep?!"

"Please stop talking. Your voice grates on my ears."

"Your existence grates on my nerves!"

"Your…" The man began, before pausing to think about his words, "Huh. Touché. For now."

He released Lyra and she shrieked as cold, foul-smelling water splashed around her. That jerk had just dumped her in a murky pond in Elm's back yard! When she felt the silky lips of a small Magikarp on her shins, she bolted out of the deep pond and floundered on the grass, screaming. If there was any absolute truth in the world, it was that Lyra completely and irrevocably loathed the rubbery, slippery feel of fish on her skin.

Lyra looked around for the jerk, only to find a dark and empty yard with dirt and cobweb covered patio furniture. A light came on and Professor Elm stepped out with an intimidating Arcanine at his side. Before he could give the magnificent beast a command, he gave Lyra a look of pure confusion.

"…Lyra?"

"Hi."

"Why are you swimming in my fish pond?"

"I… there was some guy on the side of your lab stalking you or something! I don't know what he was after but he, he… I don't know, he just picked me up and threw me in her like a douche!"

Elm extended a hand to her and helped her up, "Oh great, not that guy again. I've noticed some weirdo with long hair following me. Red headed guy, right?"

Lyra nodded, "Long red hair, yeah. Tall-ish guy? Kinda carried himself like a douche?"

"That's the one. Come on inside, I'll get you a towel or something. I'll have the Houndours out tonight and we'll see if he slithers by in the morning. I'm guessing you tried to shoo him away, didn't you?"

"Something like that. I wasn't sure who he was."

"You shouldn't talk to strangers, you know." Elm said, leading the way back to his lab, "Especially strangers that sit around outside of people's windows."

"I actually thought he was Ethan at first. Don't you think you should call the police or something?" Lyra looked up at him curiously, "I mean, I know I would if there was some weirdo hanging around my window."

Elm laughed, "Ah, don't worry. The Houndours will keep any intruders out. Besides, it's probably just some bored kid. If he comes back, I'll give the boy a stern talking-to."

"That only works when you're ancient, though." Lyra said.

"How sweet of you, my dear. But I, if you had not noticed, am ancient." Elm opened the door and allowed Lyra to enter the lab. He disappeared into some hallways and re-emerged with a dark blue towel.

"Thanks."

"You can bring that back tomorrow if you want. Your mom's probably expecting you."

Lyra nodded and thanked him again for the towel, drying her hair and backside. Her jeans were smattered with mud and algae, and the smell was what she could only describe as _absolute funk_ in her diary.

* * *

"Hey, Lyra! You were out late, did you and Ethan go celebrate in Cherrygrove?" Lyra's mother, Nora called from the kitchen.

Lyra slipped off her shoes and stepped into the living room with a weary gait. She took a seat at the kitchen table and her damp jeans made an unsettling _squish_ against the plastic chair. Nora only then turned away from the sink full of bubbly dishes to face her.

After a moment of awkward silence, Nora began to laugh and Lyra made a face, "What?"

"Did… you guys go swimming or something?" Nora said, suddenly covering her nose, "Ugh, did you go swimming in that dirty lake on Route 29? I'm sorry, love, but you smell like—"

"Yeah, I stink, I get it. It's a long story."

Nora sat across from Lyra and winking, said, "Well, good thing I'm bored out of my mind. I mean really, how often do you see me hand-washing the dishes?"

"Right…" Lyra smiled, glancing over at the nearly complete dishwashing job. The rack beside the sink was full of clean plates and cups; a rack that often went unused when they resorted to the convenience of the dishwasher. She took her mother's comment seriously at that point. Often times, she would find her mother at her laptop, working on the next installment in her children's book series, _Lucinda the Cleffa_.

"So, why did you come home covered in mud and algae?"

"Well, on the way home, I ran into some guy,"

"Ooh, was he cute?"

"Heh," Lyra snorted, "I think he might have been if he wasn't trying to stalk Professor Elm."

A serious look came over Nora's face, "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I tried to find out what the guy was doing there by Elm's window, but he grabbed me and threw me into the pond. When Elm came out, the guy took off."

"Oh my God! Are you alright? Lyra, you should have just told Elm in the first place, what if that guy had a weapon or something?" Nora said, suddenly more serious than Lyra had seen in days, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No, no, I'm alright. He just picked me up and dropped me in a fish pond like a huge jerk. I learned my lesson, anyway. Elm told me that he'd seen the guy around lately, too, but didn't seem too worried. I don't know. I'm still a little worried about some weirdo running around town looking in people's windows."

"Yeah, it's a good thing my room's on the second floor." Nora's voice resumed the lighthearted tone she was known for, "Do you think you should take off on that trip tomorrow, then?"

There it was, Lyra knew, another offhanded request to stay. Nora had known about this day for years, and often dropped little hints at how badly she wanted Lyra to stay in town with her. In all honesty, there was a part of Lyra that wanted to stay there in carefree little New Bark town with her mother and Professor Elm and the children around town. There was a small trade school on the outskirts of Cherrygrove that she had almost considered applying to after graduating from high school.

Life would be so simple if she could just stay in town and become a researcher under Professor Elm, just like Ethan or the few other teenagers who lived in New Bark. He was always more than willing to take up a new little, "Duckling" and show them the beauty of the pokemon laboratory scene.

But life would also be ridiculously boring.

Kris had taken off for exactly that reason—she was a headstrong girl and always found New Bark to be more of a prison than a little slice of paradise. She used to call it in all her moody, adolescent drama, "Solitary Confinement". Although in her letters, Lyra knew that after leaving, no matter how much she went on about how beautiful the outside world was, there was a part of Kris that wanted to return to the simple life.

"Ethan's going. We've been planning this for years, Mom."

"I know. Don't mind me, love. I'm just pestering you. You know, I've been looking forward to this day as much as I've dreaded it. My baby girl is all grown up. Finished high school, getting a license to train pokemon, going out on that trainer's journey… I'm proud of you, you know. For staying here and getting the important things out of the way."

"Yeah, Kris is going to be pretty screwed if her training career ever fails her." Lyra laughed. Nora gave her a glare of disapproval, and Lyra only sighed and apologized, "Sorry. I didn't mean that. Pokemon are her life."

"That's right. Are they your life too, Lyra?"

Lyra thought about that for a moment. She had never had a pokemon of her own. Her family had never even owned one, not even as a family pet. Often times, she would see her friends at school sneaking their Pidgey or Starly in. In her childhood, she would be green with envy at the sight of her friends' well-behaved Poochyena or feisty Zigzagoon during show and tell.

Then there was the Marill that Ethan got as his starter pokemon on his fourteenth birthday. He had gotten a license to train and care for pokemon long ago, but stayed in town, vowing to set out on his journey with Lyra so they could both finish school and not be out in the wild alone.

Something about that Marill's rubbery, slippery, sometimes _moist_ blue coat and skin made Lyra's skin crawl. She had always held inexplicable apprehension toward water pokemon. Perhaps they reminded her of fish.

"I'm not sure. I've never had one… though I'd like to."

"I want you to remember, Lyra, if you ever feel like you want to come home or—"

"No!" Lyra shot, "I'm not going to back down!"

Nora smiled, "Good. Stick with it. I know you can do it."

Lyra nodded and let those words sit with her for the rest of the night. After showering and changing into her pajamas, she spent the evening talking with her mother. They laughed and joked over a dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread—Lyra's favorite. She wondered if that was why her mother had made it for her. Later in the evening, her mother brought out the photo albums and they reminisced over the moments of childhood caught in ink and glossy Polaroid.

Nora paused over a photo of Lyra on the beach, holding a bucket over her head and burying her legs in the sand. Kris knelt beside the mounds of grainy sand and stuck her tongue out at the camera. Lyra saw tears forming in Nora's eyes as she thought about that summer. The Tohjo bay was just a thirty minute drive from their house, but it was now what separated she and Kris, who resided somewhere in Kanto. Soon enough, Lyra thought, it would also separate herself from her mother.

"Promise me that you'll come back someday, Lyra."

Lyra nodded, fighting the lump growing in her own throat, "I promise, mom."

"I'm going to miss you a lot."

The blue and pink paper streamers from her party still hung around the halls and the living room. Lyra was not about to let the tears fall, and instead focused on the decorations and the paper plates of strawberry cake sitting on the coffee table. She took a few bites; it was delicious.


	2. Caffeine

Lyra had slept well through the night, much to her surprise. She had expected to be kept awake by her excitement, but after helping her mother clean the party decorations from the living room, she had a pleasant degree of fatigue to lull her to sleep. She had dreamt about walking down a long road with Ethan and Riru, and at her side was a Cyndaquil she called Caffeine. When she awoke, she sat up in her bed and stared at the wall in a groggy, morning haze for a long time before muttering to herself,

"…why the hell did I name it 'Caffeine'?"

Her morning rituals were rushed; she brushed her teeth with haste and pulled her hair into pigtails. She nearly tripped when she pulled on her first clean pair of overall pants, and neglected to button the top half, allowing it to hang down over her baggy pants. She threw on a black tank top and topped the ensemble off with her favorite red hoodie shirt. After grabbing her pink travel bag, already stuffed with snacks, spare clothes, and other supplies, she hurried down the stairs.

"You're up early," Nora said with a smile, "Funny thing, too. Ethan just stopped by to see if you were awake yet."

Lyra buttered a wheat bagel as she replied, "Did he? You're kidding, he sleeps in worse than I do!"

"I know, right? I asked him if he even slept at all."

"Did he?" Lyra asked, scarfing down the bagel.

Nora laughed and shook her head, "I don't think he got a blink of sleep."

"Great," Lyra sighed with a smile, "He better not pass out on me before we get to Cherrygrove."

Lyra ran to Nora and threw her arms around her in a hug, "I'm going to go meet up with him now. I'll see you later, mom."

"Shouldn't you eat a real breakfast first, kid?" Nora asked.

"I'm alright, I'm too excited to eat." Lyra replied.

"Okay, well, you promise me that you're going to stay safe, alright? Call me often. You've got my cell number in your PokeGear right?"

Lyra nodded. Her mother smiled and pulled her in for another tight hug.

"Get going, now. The early bird catches the Caterpie."

Lyra left the house with the anticipation nearly bubbling over. She had waited years to have her very first pokemon, and now, her time had finally arrived. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath of the fresh, morning air. She was not a morning person per se, and thus the scent of freshly cut grass just after sunrise held a pleasant distinction from the smell of the air at noon. The air was still cool from the previous night, and she could feel the breeze against her skin. It was cold, it was sudden, and it was… wet.

She looked down with wide brown eyes, recognizing that moist, smooth texture on her arm. Riru looked up at her with a big, round, blue face and a mousy smile. Lyra could not gasp long enough to release the scream that would awaken all of New Bark town. She stumbled back against the front door and flung her arm into the air. Riru was tossed up and as it came back down, Lyra's foot came up with a fierce kick, as if the little blue pokemon was a mere soccer ball.

Riru squealed and was shot far back into the sky; far enough to pass over the fence that bordered Lyra's house. It landed in Ethan's arms, who stood at the side walk with a look of horror on his face that could match the one on Lyra's. Riru was unharmed, however, and was quick to resume crawling on Ethan's shoulders with its cheerful songs and squeaks. Ethan looked at Lyra for a moment before uttering, "Y…you just punted Riru!"

Lyra nodded, "Y-yeah, I did."

"That was really mean…!"

"I know." She nodded again.

Ethan shook his head and began walking down the street, "I'm keeping Riru away from you, jeez! Violent…!"

Lyra caught up, and the two made their way to Elm's lab.

"Sorry about kicking your Marill. It scared me…" Lyra said.

"It's alright, Riru's okay. Just try not to treat any more pokemon like footballs, alright?"

"I was thinking soccer."

Ethan rolled his eyes, "I'm going to tell Elm you're a pokemon abuser."

"Alright, alright! No more punting pokemon."

"Good."

After a moment of silent walking, Lyra added, "You should consider becoming a goalie. That was a pretty good block back there."

Professor Elm's lab was a two-story building on the edge of town, near Route 29. At the top level was his quaint little home where he lived with his wife, Holly, who was also a pokemon researcher and world-class pokemon breeder. The two cared for Elm's nephew, who was turning fifteen named Durian, who had constantly pestered Lyra for a date since he turned twelve. Each and every time, it would end with Lyra telling him, "Bug off, kid." Durian's pursuit was as passionate as ever, however, and Lyra was praying that the kid would be in school, rather than wandering around the lab as he often did.

Ethan led the way, greeting two other assistants of Elm's—Dr. Balsa and Dr. Cedar. Cedar was carrying in a pink and purple cake with a Gengar design on it, wishing the third assistant, Dr. Mora Willow a happy birthday. Willow was not yet there, Balsa had whispered to Ethan. Ethan smiled and asked Balsa and Cedar to wish her a happy birthday for him. Lyra followed him as he entered the lab, where Elm was tying some balloons to the corner of a desk.

Elm turned to them with a smile, "Oh, hey guys!"

"Hey, Professor!" Ethan and Lyra greeted.

"Just give me a moment, I'm having a little trouble with these balloons. Dr. Willow's having a surprise party today, you see. Luckily for us, she's a bit of a late riser."

"Would you like some help, there?" Ethan offered.

"Oh, no, it's alright. This was the last batch. I just have to be sure it doesn't…"

Before he finished his sentence, the batch of three, pink balloons jerked and made a muffled mewling sound. It lunged at Elm, who dodged it and pulled a pokeball from the pocket of his lab coat. The balloons merged into a pile of puddy before taking on a face and growling.

"So that's why those balloons wouldn't… Ah, I'm sorry, Ditto!" Elm gave a nervous laugh, before thinking aloud, "…then where the hell did those balloons go? Crap, I hope the Muk didn't eat them earlier…"

The pokemon was returned to the ball in a beam of pink light as Elm said, "Return, Ditto. I'll make it up to you later."

He turned to Ethan and Lyra and gestured to a machine that held three pokeballs.

"Well, you guys… I'm happy to congratulate you on the beginning of your pokemon training careers. To start you off, I want you two to each choose one of these pokemon. Er… wait, Ethan, you wanted to stick with Riru, didn't you?"

"That I did, Sir!" Ethan said with a cheerful smile. He stroked Riru's cheeks, and it cooed as he replied, "Could you to save it for whoever else may be leaving on a training journey soon?"

"Of course, Durian actually…"

"_I_ am actually going to be starting my training journey today, too." An adolescent boy's voice came. Lyra cringed and looked back over her shoulder at a boy in baggy, but trendy clothes and spiked brown hair. He flashed her his best attempt at a handsome grin, despite the array of pokeball colored braces on his otherwise white teeth. He was Durian Elm; a little boy who was quite possibly the bane of her existence. Even Ethan feigned a very strained attempt at a smile—he and Durian were not on very good terms, either.

"Ah, are you going to be tagging along with them, Durian?" Elm asked with a nervous smile. He was well-aware of the conflicts his nephew often had with the other kids in town.

"That's right," Durian said, walking past Lyra. She eyed him as he approached the three pokeballs that awaited them. Durian leaned down to be eye-to-eye with each pokeball and said, "They're all level five, though, aren't they?"

"That is where most trainers begin unless they hatch their first pokemon like Ethan, here." Elm said.

"I don't want a weak grass pokemon. You've got a Cyndaquil, don't you?" Durian exclaimed, "I want a Cyndaquil!"

She wasn't about to let the Cyndaquil she had dreamt of fall into the hands of Durian Elm.

"A Cyndaquil?" Lyra interrupted, faking a disapproving voice, "You're not going to become one of those fire-training jocks who think they're all that, are you, Durian?"

Durian paused and blushed as she addressed him—something Lyra rarely ever did.

"Ooh, boys like that are such a bother! I think a real man isn't afraid to have a pretty grass pokemon, don't you think, Ethan?" Lyra said.

Ethan had a puzzled look on his face, but was quick to catch on. He nodded and said, "Yep, my dad was a grass pokemon trainer. Sometimes people would give him crap for it, but then he would absolutely smash them in battle. It was great, people don't realize how strong grass pokemon are."

Durian looked as if he were considering their words and then eyed his uncle as if looking for a third opinion. Elm just shrugged and smiled at Durian before placing Ditto's pokeball on a rack lined with other red and white spheres. Durian looked back at the three pokeballs and then back at Lyra.

"Well, I'm a real man! Watch this!" Durian took the pokeball marked with a leaf symbol and summoned the pokemon inside, "Chikorita! Go!"

"Oh, how nice, it's such a pretty little girl." Lyra smiled, petting the grass pokemon with bright eyes and a soft smile. The pokemon had a very obvious docile nature and rolled over on it's side, waiting for someone to rub its belly. Lyra crossed Durian and took the pokeball marked by a symbol for fire and said, "…so that means I'll choose Cyndaquil!"

"But…" Durian said, poking the Chikorita that continued to giggle and roll around on the floor, "W…what's wrong with this pokemon?"

"Great choices, gang!" Elm said, with applause.

"…gang?" Durian muttered.

"Are you planning on naming them?" Elm asked.

Lyra shrugged, "You know… I'm thinking about naming her Caffeine."

Elm nodded, "Sounds cute! What about you, Durian?"

"I… I can't even tell if it's a boy or a girl. I think it's a girl?" Durian said, dismay in his once-boisterous voice.

"It's a male Chikorita. I'm pretty close to this one, so I am actually happy that you chose him, Durian. Normally my assistants care for them until they are level five, but I personally raised this one. It had a problem with loafing around, but the problem has since been corrected." Elm explained.

Durian watched the Chikorita flop around in a playful haze of excitement. It seemed happy enough to have a new trainer, Lyra thought. Although she even began to wonder if that pokemon was going to be too busy running happy circles around its new trainer to even be interested in battling.

"I always called it 'Chikie'." Elm said.

Durian whined and said, "I… Is this pokemon alright?"

Elm gave a jolly reply, "Of course, it's all yours!"

* * *

Haha, ah, Durian. You suck so much. Anyway, I've gone back to chapter one and changed the names to fit the dubbed names. Kotone has become Lyra and Hibiki has become Ethan. As you may have noticed, there are some considerable changes to this story... Elm no longer has a son, but instead is the caretaker of his brother's son; the little spore we know as Durian. I changed this because knowing Elm, he would not have a son that acted like a little brat. Elm's son would probably have a personality similar to Brock, Ash, or even Tracey, but that's just my idea.


	3. Twig

Lyra's hands were quivering with anticipation; she held a pokeball of her own for the first time, and inside was literally the Cyndaquil of her dreams. As Lyra followed Ethan out of Elm's lab, she could not help but let an excited giggle escape.

"I'm guessing you're pretty stoked, aren't you?" Ethan asked.

Lyra nodded, "You're damn right, I am!"

"That's good. I feel kind of bad for that Chikorita, though." Ethan sighed.

Lyra remembered how disappointed Durian looked with his choice. She cared less for his disappointment and more for the future that Chikorita was going to face. Durian was an impatient boy, more than prone to yelling until he got his way. For a moment, Lyra wondered if she had made a terrible decision.

Professor Elm had given them advice on their way out; he told them to allow their pokemon to walk alongside them and not confine them to their pokeballs. Lyra rolled her eyes at the hasty young boy when she heard Durian mutter nonchalantly, "Yeah, yeah..."

As they stepped outside into the warm, afternoon sun, Lyra took on a giddy smile. Ethan gestured to the open yard before them and said, "Go for it."

"Caffeine, come on out!" Lyra said, tossing the pokeball. The pokeball hit the ground and it opened down the middle with the clicks of tiny unlocking mechanisms. A ray of orange light burst forth from the mouth of the ball, chaotic at first, before taking the shape of a small, rodent-like creature.

Lyra bounced up and down in excitement as the form of a Cyndaquil materialized before them. It would be the pokemon she had always dreamed of; it would be her Caffeine.

The mousey pokemon had a thin coat of blue-tinted fur at the top and a tan coat at the bottom. On its back was a quivering flame that burst upward at first, before mellowing out to a dull glow. It looked around through narrow little eyes at the grass around it before turning to Lyra and Ethan.

Why did you name it Caffeine? Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.

I honestly have no idea Lyra said, as if having a sobering moment through her eager grin.

Caffeine looked up at them for a moment before turning around once more. At that moment, it caught sight of its shadow and began to squeal. Lyra s grin faded as the pokemon shrieked and ran for the shade.

I I don t even Lyra began, watching the shivering Cyndaquil stare up at them with a look of accusation in its eyes.

It looks like it s scared of its own shadow or something, Ethan suggested, I hear a lot of Cyndaquil are inherently timid.

timid ? Lyra repeated, the frustration carrying through her voice. On the bright side, she reasoned, Durian wouldn't have had his hands on a timid Cyndaquil. Not with his temper.

Lyra bent down and held a hand out to the trembling pokemon, "Hey, come here! I'm not gonna hurt you."

The Cyndaquil glared at her and stepped backward. It squeaked when it's rear bumped against a wall. Lyra laughed and shook her head, "You are a genuine 'fraidy cat, aren't you?"

Lyra waited for some response, but the mousey pokemon only eyed her as if she were some kind of predator. She gave a defeated sigh and stood. As she looked up at the bright blue afternoon sky, she spoke,

"Does this always happen with Cyndaquil?"

"I'd say this one's a bit on the extreme side." Ethan shrugged, "Let me try."

He knelt down and held a hand out to it. With a few clicking noises, the Cyndaquil perked it's head up, but continued to step away.

"Maybe you should just keep it in the pokeball for now?" Ethan suggested.

"No, I'm not doing that," Lyra shook her head, "I'm not stuffing this poor thing in the ball... hey, wait, you worked with Professor Elm, right? Have you ever seen this one around?"

"I saw him training it, but not often. These three are 'new recruits' to the lab. He brought them up to be able to defend themselves and be partners to trainers, but it's not like he spent years and years with them. This one just needs to be socialized a little, I think." Ethan explained.

"I hope it's just that and not like... a paranoid schizophrenic or something."

Ethan laughed, "Yeah. We'll be shit out of luck when it becomes a Typhlosion, wouldn't we?"

"Wouldn't wanna be around that."

"Chikie, what the hell, get back here!" Durian's voice came.

Lyra looked past the fence and saw Durian chasing his chirping Chikorita down the road. She laughed.

"You shut up!" Durian barked at Lyra.

"You go catch your pokemon, kid." Lyra retorted.

Durian growled and continued his pursuit.

Lyra turned back to Cyndaquil it was not just any Cyndaquil, it was her Caffeine. She was not about to just let it go on hating her. She bent over for a moment to tell it one more thing,

"Caffeine. That's my new name for you. You can come with me if you want, or you can just stay here. I'm going now."

Caffeine eyed her as she walked away. Ethan looked confused at first before shrugging and following Lyra.

"What are you doing? You're just leaving it?" Ethan asked.

"If it doesn't want to be my partner, I'm not going to force it." Lyra said, folding her arms casually behind her head.

Ethan looked back at the pokemon and then back at Lyra, "It's just going to stay there on Elm's doorstep, you know."

"Let it."

Ethan sighed and shook his head, "So what are you going to do? A trainer needs their first pokemon."

"I'll catch one."

"How? You need to battle a wild one and weaken it, what are you going to battle it with?"

Lyra smiled at him, "I'll just throw stuff at it. Besides, I have a meat shield right here."

"Thanks." Ethan said flatly.

Lyra thought ahead, outlining their plan in her mind as she walked. Professor Elm had requested that they visit a colleague of his whom he called "Twig", otherwise known to the public as a researcher called Mr. Pokemon. Twig lived on Route 30, just north-east of Cherrygrove. They were to look into an egg that Twig was raving about. Lyra wondered just what could be so special about an egg.

New Bark Town was already far behind them; if she looked back, her view was obstructed by trees and hills. She had 3000 Pen; it would be more than enough for her to buy a few pokeballs in Cherrygrove. Although she found herself a little remorseful of leaving little Caffeine behind.

It had not struck her yet the reality of leaving behind her starter. She expected to turn around and see it coming after her. That had been her initial plan, but she had the backup idea to simply capture a Pidgey on the way to Twig's house. The egg would be delivered back to Professor Elm anyway, and she would have that reunion as a second chance at Caffeine's trust.

"So you're really leaving it?" Ethan said, as if reading her mind.

"Huh?" Lyra grunted, "What?"

"Your first pokemon. Cyndaquil, you're leaving it?"

"I was just thinking about that..." Lyra sighed.

"I notice you keep looking back over your shoulder. I don't think it's going to come after us." Ethan said.

"I guess I was kind of hoping it would."

"Well, don't stress too much. If we get attacked by anything, I've got Riru." Ethan said. Riru, sitting on his shoulder made a cheerful squeak of acknowledgement. Lyra feigned a smile, but felt the truth of Caffeine's rejection for the first time. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she expected Caffeine to cave and be by her side at this point.

"Do you think Elm will be mad?"

"Nah, I think he'll be happier that you didn't force Cyndaquil to join you." Ethan said.

They reached Cherrygrove after a thirty minute hike through Route 29. It was the same hike she had made every morning to school with Ethan. They passed the high school near the entrance of the town. Lyra was glad to be free of it, but high school had never been a miserable experience for her. A small part of her was a bit wistful at the sight of it's empty field; at that time of day, she expected to see the baseball team practicing. But students were home relaxing between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. That was the nature of the awkward month of March... completely different than the one year she spent in Kanto, where school began in the fall and ended at the beginning of summer.

Ethan, however, looked ecstatic to be out, "Good riddance."

"So hateful." Lyra teased.

"That place sucked."

"It's just high school."

"It still sucked."

"Whatever," Lyra laughed, "We're free now, for better or for worse."

"Yeah. You're right," Ethan said.

They continued to walk through the small town; Riru would occasionally leap down from Ethan's shoulder and hop near Lyra's feet. Lyra shuddered and made a disgusted sound as she leaped away to avoid the Marril. Ethan only laughed and called Riru back to his shoulder and the moist little creature hopped up his arm with a loving coo.

By the time they reached Route 30, Lyra checked the time on her PokeGear; nearly five 'o'clock. She had hoped to make it back to Elm's lab with the egg before sunset, but she was starting to realize it may not be so. Half way through the flat grasslands of Route 30, Lyra stopped and groaned.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

"I forgot to grab some pokeballs at the store..."

"Don't worry about it, we can get them on the way back."

"Yeah, you're right." Lyra sighed in defeat.

After passing a small lake and a few cosy, rural homes, they saw one large abode that stood out like a sore thumb. There were telescopes rising from the faded ruby rooftop and various satellites. The house was large, but despite the quirky air of steadfastness, something was odd about it. That odd something had not escaped its resident, the stranger of two men who were walking together outside, coming from another cooky-looking building across the property.

"D... do you think that's Twig?" Lyra whispered to Ethan, eying the man with the tattered labcoat and the large, bottlecap glasses.

Ethan nodded, his mouth slightly parted in awe. Lyra looked up at him in confusion, "What, is Twig that great or something?"

"Th-that's..." Ethan began.

"Ah, you two must be the trainers that Elm was telling me about!" The tall and rather scrawny man called. He said something fast and inaudible to the man beside him, and with a large, auburn mug in his hand, he walked toward Lyra and Ethan with a skip in his step.

"I'm the guy they call 'Mr. Pokemon'. Call me Twig, though. It's what my buddies call me. I go by Twig. Twig's just me." He said, extending a large, but bony and jittery hand.

"Right... Lyra," Lyra said, shaking his hand, or rather, having her hand shaken by Twig. She began to wonder if he really needed the coffee she presumed was in the tall mug.

"Lyra? Lyra, Lyra, lovely name, Lyra. I had a friend once named Lyra. She was a doll, never did get her number though." Twig gave a quick laugh, before turning to Ethan and shaking his hand, "...and you were... don't tell me, Ethan right?"

"That's right," Ethan nodded, still eying the man Twig had left waiting. The man with salt-and-pepper hair just watched them from afar with a patient smile.

"I met you once, actually, back in, back in August? July? You're one of Elm's assistants, aren't ya?" Twig said.

"Yeah," Ethan said in a daze. Lyra began to wonder if he was in love, or something.

"Well, come on in, come on in, I was just having a talk about this thing with the Professor here, have you met him? This is my friend Sam, Sam Oak, I'm sure you've heard of him. Great guy, smart guy, amazing guy." Twig said, leading the way.

Lyra had never heard the name in her life. Ethan, however, gave a quiet and stifled squeal. She rolled her eyes he was acting like a thirteen-year-old girl who just got tickets to a pop concert.

Oak nodded and greeted them; he was quiet and spoke little. He listened with them as Twig rambled about everything from the state of his somewhat cluttered home "It's an organized mess, mind your step, kids" to the Senator that just got elected in Goldenrod, "Can't stand the guy, wants to put a ban on free-roaming Koffing and other gaseous pokemon in the city. It's ludicrous, their fumes don't smell pretty, but saying that it affects the immediate environment is just unfounded. It's bull, is what it is. Those fumes are defense mechanisms to protect themselves and their young, it'd be like banning skunks!"

He took a swig of coffee; Lyra could smell it on his breath when he turned to them, "Can I get you two some coffee or something?"

She shook her head and Ethan did the same, "No, thank you."

"Alright, alright, no problem. Just let me know if you change your mind, I've got a lot of coffee."

"This man has too much coffee," Oak said, breaking his silence. Ethan squeaked a little.

As they approached an incubator in the lab, Twig's hundred-topic-a-minute train of thought found it's way to the important matter at hand. He flipped a switch and the glass dome over the incubator slid down. The warm lights around the egg dimmed and in natural light, Lyra saw unique, triangular patterns on its shell. From different angles, the patterns lit up in a blue or red sheen, but at other angles, the egg looked plain and white. She found herself shifting back and forth between the two sights as Ethan listened to Twig's analysis of the egg.

At that point, they were speaking a kind of pokemon science that Lyra was lost on. Besides, the egg was far more entertaining than something Twig had found in a chromosome or whatever. Some string of numbers and letters that identified something that only Ethan with his fascination for genetic research understood.

"The thing's got a hard shell, too," Twig said, knocking on it with his knuckles. Ethan gasped at first, before Twig laughed, "Don't worry about it, I did some tests, the thing's like a rock. I suspect that at this point in its development, it's mostly solid on the inside. Whatever this pokemon is, well, it is the egg. The pokemon is the egg, and the egg is the pokemon, if that makes sense. Does that make sense?"

Twig glanced at Oak, who only smiled and nodded, "I think it makes sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Twig continued, "It's a little rock. But not a rock type. I don't think this thing is a rock type. Well, I better not hold you guys back any longer. I'll bet you two want to get back to New Bark before nightfall, so let me give you this."

Twig picked up the egg. Lyra wondered how long it would be before his jittery hands fumbled the egg as he slipped it into a protective steel and glass container. With the flick of a switch, small lights came on in the container.

"A portable incubator?" Ethan said, awestruck by the novelty.

"Yep, this thing comes in handy. It's another little something-something that I'm sending Elm's way. I'm sure he'll enjoy it, he's always complaining about the egg stage of the breeding process. Can't say he's much of a jogger either, so this will just be precious to him." Twig rambled.

Ethan took the cylindrical device into careful hands. Lyra was more than ready to get back to New Bark Town and have a second chance at befriending Caffeine. Ethan thanked Twig, and despite more offers to have some coffee, they were on their way. Before they left, however, the quiet Professor Oak spoke once again, and Ethan hung on his every word.

Lyra decided to wait outside when they spoke; Oak was having a one-on-one discussion with Ethan and Lyra's mind was occupied by other things. The sky outside was starting to take on a pink, sunset hue. She did not want to be impatient, but she worried about the little Cyndaquil that she had left sitting in Professor Elm's yard. There was a tinge of fear in her gut; she may return to an upset Professor Elm, disappointed that she had just left her pokemon.

When Ethan stepped out of Twig's lab and joined Lyra at the dirt and gravel path of Route 30, she noticed a starry look on his face.

"What did that Oak guy say? You look stoked."

"H...he said that he saw potential in me... and he gave me a Pokedex..."

"A dex?" Lyra said, her interest perked, "Really?"

Ethan grinned wide and nodded, showing her the red and gold pokedex that Oak had presented him with. It was compact, no bigger than her cell phone, but she knew that despite it's size, it held a massive repository of information.

"That fits you," Lyra said, affectionately slapping him on the shoulder, "You've wanted to research pokemon since you were like, eight years old, haven't you?"

"Yeah, and they say that it's special when Oak picks you to do it; every trainer he's chosen to build on the dex has gone on to be a prominent trainer or researcher. Even Elm was one of Oak's picks back in the day."

"Serious?" Lyra felt a little jealous of Ethan's newfound good luck charm, but she found herself happier for him than envious.

"I can't wait to show Elm, he'll get a kick out of this."

"Who is Professor Oak, anyway? I mean, I've heard the name before, but I'm not too familiar with him."

The rest of the walk through Route 30 and Cherrygrove went by quickly. This was due to Ethan filling her in on the details behind the legend that was Professor Oak. It was all new information to her; the man had been a prodigy. He took up a pokemon training journey at the age of nine and brought the Elite Four of the Kanto League to its knees at the tender age of ten; the only trainer who had done that since was a reclusive legend called Red, who had fallen out of the spotlight a year ago. Kris had been a close second, Lyra thought, being a champion by the age of twelve.

Ethan seemed to ramble on at length over Oak's accomplishments. A renowned researcher and the developer of the pokedex technology that had become a massive database of often vital knowledge. There was a small version of that in the PokeGear that Kris had given her, but it was minimal and only analyzed the pokemon in her possession.

By the time she was fully caught up on the "amazingness" of this pokemon professor, they had reached New Bark Town. To Lyra's relief, the sun had set, but its ruby light still lit up the horizon.

As they approached Elm's lab, they saw a police officer's car parked beside the short, white fence. One of the windows was broken, and a uniformed officer with a short skirt and dark pigtails was examining it.

"What the hell... Elm!" Ethan said, pushing open the gate and racing into the lab.

Lyra chased after, eying the quiet chaos. She saw Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi across the street, eying the scene and whispering to each other. Mrs. Takahashi was always a gossip, Lyra thought, before entering the lab.

"Elm, hey, what happened?" Ethan began.

"Freeze right there!" The officer commanded Ethan; she too, had a short skirt, and dark, pigtailed hair. Lyra and Ethan paused, raising their hands.

"Don't, no, don't worry about them, they're friends. They didn't do it," Elm said, sitting at his desk with a tired look on his face.

The officer's hand had moved to the gun holstered at her side, but had not drawn it. At Elm's explanation, she relaxed and eyed the two teenagers warily, "My apologies. Pokemon thieves like Team Rocket always seem to return to the scene of the crime. They tend to send at least one agent back to make a report of the damage they left behind, then they send photos and a write up to us within the hour. It's a little ridiculous."

"Sounds like they're proud of their work..." Lyra muttered.

"Yeah, they're cocky people, Team Rocket. I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. Deputy Jenny Blau. We got a call from Elm's assistants earlier. Found the poor guy knocked out on the floor and found some items and a pokemon stolen."

"A pokemon was stolen?" Lyra cried.

"Yeah, you know anything about this? Have you seen or heard anything that may be related to what happened here? Can I get your names?" Jenny asked, taking notes in a small tablet.

"Ethan Hart."

"Lyra Saoul... so what pokemon was stolen?"

"It was a Totodile..." Elm explained, holding an ice pack to the back of his head, "...your little Cyndaquil, it stayed behind and it tried to help, but the man who came in, a man with long red hair, he kicked it and scared the poor thing. He seemed pretty focused on just that one Totodile. Took a few potions and pokeballs and took off."

"Caffeine's still here?" Lyra said, looking around.

Elm nodded, wincing, "Yeah... It's around here somewhere. I think that if it hadn't started attacking the thief, he would have done more harm. Kind of an unexpected hero, almost..."

Lyra eyed the lab; it was torn up. She had a feeling that the man she had seen the day before, that long-haired, tall, red-headed jerk, was the culprit. A good number of medical supplies and jars of pokemon food were stolen. Hiding in a corner, underneath a desk, was Caffeine. Lyra knelt down, paying little attention to the questions that the police officer asked Elm and Ethan.

"Hey... Caffeine, are you alright?"

The Cyndaquil looked at her with shiny, black eyes. Again with the accusatory glare, Lyra thought with a sigh. Lyra held out a hand and said, "You did good, Caffeine, you scared off that thief... are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

She knew it could understand her; pokemon were not like dogs and cats. They were sentient and many could feel the same range of emotions as humans. She knew that the Cyndaquil could sense the worry and concern in her voice. She couldn't have masked that even if she tried. Lyra could not even begin to describe the amount of regret she felt for leaving it behind.

"Caffeine, come on, please, I have to know if you're alright. I couldn't forgive myself if you got hurt."

Her efforts were futile.

Lyra gave up and stood. As she walked away, she heard little claws tapping on the linoleum floor. When she looked back, she saw Caffeine crawling out from beneath the desk. Lyra said nothing and looked over it; there didn't seem to be any wounds, and it did not look as if it were in pain. Shaken, perhaps, but Caffeine was safe.

She wasn't about to push her luck, however. Lyra returned to the conversation at hand.

"Unless he's headed for Tohjo, which he would be stupid to with a pokemon this inexperienced, I would say he's headed for Cherrygrove. That is the only real direction a new trainer could go," Ethan explained.

"Alright, thank you. Are you two headed in that direction?"

"We are," Lyra said.

"Good, that's where the station is, so if you want, we can give you two a ride. We'll have the officers back in town on alert." Jenny said, before speaking a number of codes into her radio.

Lyra looked over at the broken window. If only she had stopped the man when she had the chance... Lyra then paused... she saw the pigtailed officer through the window. She glanced back at Jenny, and then back at the pigtailed officer. She wondered if they were twins, or sisters even.

"Hey, Ethan..." Lyra whispered, nudging Ethan in the arm.

Ethan glanced back at her.

"...these police officers..."

"Yeah, I know, they're like clones," Ethan said.

"Alright, just making sure I'm not going crazy or something."

* * *

: : : c h a p t e r . n o t e s : : :

Updated, finally! Hopefully future updates won't be so far apart, since I'm on a summer schedule now. Thank you all for the encouraging reviews so far! They really do help and don't be afraid to give some criticism here and there, because concrit always helps. ;) I can't wait to get the next chapter posted, there's going to be some more Silver. MMM, BB. I RAAAV SILVER. /shameless

Artwork: my deviantart gallery has some artwork based on this story. You can find it at .com and it's located in the gallery. I've got some "redesigns" up that reflect the characters' boosted ages. ^_^

Stay Lovely!  
ツ k0usagi


	4. Silver

Lyra had never been in a police cruiser before; she and Ethan took the back seat while Jenny Blau and her partner, Jenny Ochre took the front seats. The plastic window dividing them wasn't thick enough to make hearing them difficult, but it added to the sense of claustrophobia welling inside of her. It was just a quick drive to Cherrygrove, she reminded herself as she glanced at the doors and saw an absence of handles. Even worse were the tiniest traces of old blood stains on the car seat next to Ethan's leg.

Caffeine had opted to come along this time, but kept a fair distance from Lyra. She glanced past Ethan, who sat in the middle of the seat, and saw Caffeine huddled at the far end. It glanced at her and made a snort before turning it's head away. Riru hopped down off of Ethan's shoulder and went over to Caffeine, a look on it's face that Lyra interpreted as concern or curiosity.

"So you two just started your stint in the pokemon league today, huh?" Ochre asked from the passenger seat.

Lyra continued to watch as Caffeine withdrew from Riru's attempts to communicate. She wondered why it even decided to follow along if it was not even going to befriend another pokemon.

"Yeah. We're a bit late to the game, but we got school out of the way," Ethan explained. Lyra noticed that in the presence of authority figures, he always straightened up and spoke with painfully obvious politeness.

"Good, good. It's nice to hear that some kids are staying in school before running off. Johto's not like it used to be, where ten-year-olds could just roam the countryside with their pokemon. You got your Team Rockets and your Team Snatch 'Em or whatever they call themselves roaming around, now. I don't see how parents just let their kids off the leash like that." Ochre said.

"It's not that bad. I mean, ten is a little young, but usually these kids kind of earn it. They don't wake up one day and decide to go pick up a pokemon and do this, it takes a lot of academic arrangements and testing before they get the license," Blau countered.

Lyra looked at Ethan, who just shrugged as the two officers bickered over their viewpoints. She had no say in either stance and opted to look out the window and watch the trees as they continued to Cherrygrove.

All the talk of the trainer's license prompted her to take a glance at her own. In boredom, she pulled out her wallet and withdrew a card, not much different than her Regional ID. A mugshot that had been taken at the Trainer's Registration Office in Cherrygrove-she grinned far wider than she should have, but she was so excited that day-and a physical description. One hundred and sixty centimeters tall and fifty-five kilograms... Lyra winced and muttered, "...that scale was broken."

"Huh?" Ethan asked.

"Oh, n-nothing," Lyra said, stuffing her license back into her wallet.

They reached the Cherrygrove Police Station and Lyra thanked the officers for the ride.

"Is there anything else we can do to help, officers?" Ethan asked.

"You guys are off the hook, but keep an eye out for the suspect."

Officer Blau wished them luck on their trip and added, "Make Cherrygrove and New Bark proud, you guys!"

Ochre rolled her eyes and said, "You kids stay out of trouble and be safe, you hear? You should probably book a room at the Center if you're sticking around Cherrygrove. Curfew's in four hours."

Night was near, but Lyra knew that they would be well on their way to Violet City by the time ten'o'clock hit. Caffeine walked beside her, but each time she tried to pet it, it darted away behind Ethan's legs.

"Still pretty skittish, I guess..." Ethan said.

"Looks like it," Lyra sighed.

The rest of the walk was in silence. Lyra didn't know what to say; she couldn't just tell Caffeine to trust her. She was still a stranger to it. Ethan wasn't treated with much more familiarity by the creature, but he was still a more recognized face than she was.

As they neared the north-west downtown area of Cherrygrove, Lyra could smell a salty breeze. The evening air carried the aroma of spiced, beach side food and the scent of the Cherrygrove Bay. They stood atop a hill that took a sharp, concrete slope down to the docks, boardwalk, and beach. The lights of a nighttime party on a cruise ship caught her attention.

"That must be the Serenatis," Ethan said.

"The Serenatis?"

"Yeah, there was a contest on the radio for the last week or so. The object was to be like, caller number twenty and the prize was an all-expenses paid trip on the Serenatis. They would take you to Goldenrod, where you could chill for the weekend and then have another ride back."

"Let me guess, you were caller nineteen."

Ethan furrowed his brow and sighed, "Twenty-one."

"Sucks to be you, bro."

"No, it really does. It's terrible."

"If I get you a fancy-shmancy ride on the Serenatis, would you love me, Caffeine?" Lyra asked, taking on a mock-dramatic tone of voice, "Would you? Would you love me, Caffeine!"

Caffeine snorted and turned away.

Lyra sighed, "You're an expensive date, love. I'm too broke for that anyway."

"Speaking of dates, are you hungry?" Ethan asked.

Lyra narrowed her eyes, watching him with suspicion, "...why would 'date' make you ask me that?"

"People eat dates..." Ethan explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Sure. You want me." Lyra grinned, walking down the steep sidewalk. Ethan followed close behind, with Riru giving amused chirps from his shoulder.

"Laugh it up, Riru," Ethan growled, "Correction, correction! I want your sister, not you."

Lyra playfully punched him in the side and said, "That's how it always starts. Date the hot older one, and then they notice the cute little sister."

"What melodramas have you been watching?"

"My mom got back into watching soaps."

Ethan gave Lyra a disapproving look and she sighed, shaking her head, "...we live in New Bark Town, Ethan. I get bored."

Riru hopped down off of Ethan's shoulder and began to tumble down the hill. Ethan panicked and called after his Marill, "Riru! H-hold on, I'm coming!"

Lyra began to follow, but a particular Chinese restauraunt caught her attention. As she made her way through the waist-high iron gate that bordered the outside dining area, she called out to Ethan, "You guys don't worry about me, I'm gonna get some dinner."

"L-Lyra!" Ethan cried.

Lyra waved after him as he pursued the squealing blue pokemon. She wouldn't have wanted to play catch with that moist little fur ball. Riru wasn't exactly a bad or an irritating pokemon. Lyra actually rather enjoyed having Riru around with them... she just hated touching it. That slick, oily, short hair and the webbing between the tiny digits on its paws... that bubbly blue tail full of god-knows-what... Lyra felt a chill run down her spine and she shook the thoughts from her mind before she lost her appetite.

She went inside the Panda Moon Cuisine and welcomed the smell of fried, greasy, Chinese fast food. Broccoli beef and chow mein that had been sitting under a heat lamp for the last half-hour made her mouth water.

"Aww, mommy, it's cute!" A little girl spoke.

Lyra glanced down at her feet and saw that Caffeine had followed her. She held open the door as the cyndaquil stepped inside, eying its surroundings as if a predator could attack at any moment. Caffeine looked up at Lyra and snorted. Lyra noticed that the little girl sitting at the table near the door continued to watch Caffeine, even as they walked up to the front counter.

"What can I get you this evening?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"Just the number three combo. Broccoli beef and orange chicken."

"Would you like fried rice or chow mein with that?"

"Chow mein, please."

"Coming up. Your total's going to be 500 pen."

Lyra dug out her wallet and took out a 500 pen bill. She paid and smiled at Caffeine as she took her plate, "You like broccoli beef at all, Caffeine?"

Caffeine's nose was up, following the smell of the food on Lyra's plate. She had never seen it get so close to her. The pokemon's glistening nostrils twitched with interest.

"I don't think it'll be too bad for you, but I can't give you much. Pokemon eat pokemon food for a reason."

As Lyra stepped outside and took a seat at one of the tables, Caffeine leaped up onto her lap and thrust it's face into the pile of noodles on her plate. Lyra shied away from the flame on it's back, panicking at first.

"H-hey, don't! You're gonna burn m..."

Caffeine continued to devour her food and the flame dwindled down until only four glowing circles remained. They looked like embers, ready to ignite at any second. The pokemon stopped and glanced at her. Lyra did not know what to make of this. It wasn't burning her, and that had to have been a good thing.

"Alright, I can't have you eating my whole plate... you can have the noodles, alright? It's probably better for you than the beef." Lyra said, taking the plate from the hungry cyndaquil. She unfolded a napkin and scraped the rest of the noodles onto it. Caffeine hopped onto the table and once again dove in, scarfing down each bite happily.

Lyra ate and continued to watch her pokemon. It finally appeared to be a little happier.

Lyra giggled, chewing some rice, "Sleepy, now?"

"Bleh, it's delicious, but it's probably not even that good for humans. No more fast food for you, Caffeine." Lyra sighed, finishing her plate.

Caffeine snorted.

"Yeah, I know. This is probably why that scale was broken." Lyra sighed, relaxing in her chair.

She leaned her head back, her arms folded behind her neck. The sky was a dark indigo now, almost black. Stars were shining bright in the sky. It had been a long first day as a trainer. Hopefully, at this point with Caffeine, she could be called a trainer. Lyra still didn't know if the little pokemon would allow her to be it's trainer. But she had a good feeling about the future, and it made her smile.

When Lyra stretched, the joints in her elbows made a relaxing pop. She wanted to yawn and go to sleep as she pushed her chest forward, stretching her back. Her catlike actions were interrupted by the sound of a man choking nearby.

That man again; the red-haired man who carried himself like a douche was sitting at the table nearby, looking like a douche, sipping soda through a straw like a douche and worst of all, checking her out and choking on his drink like a douche!

"You!" Lyra cried.

The red-haired man stood fast, leaving his half-eaten meal behind. How could she have not noticed him sooner? How long had he been sitting there staring at her like a creeper?

"Come on, Caffeine!"

Lyra took off after him, her small cyndaquil stirring and racing after her with an annoyed sounding growl. The man raced down the sloping sidewalk, glancing back at her over his shoulder only once.

"Stop! Get back here, you douche!"

The man didn't even pause when Ethan stepped in front of him, fresh out of a small convenience store. Riru squeaked and leapt off of Ethan's shoulder. In Ethan's hands was a warm bento box that wound up high in the air, vomiting its contents all over Ethan's jacket as the red-haired man crashed into him. Ethan stumbled back against the door as the man continued down the street.

"Move it! Get out of the way!" Lyra yelled as Ethan tried to catch the bento box.

"Damn it! My dinner..." Ethan whimpered, "Riru! Watergun that douche!"

Riru raced down the hill and hopped onto Lyra's shoulder. Lyra began to scream.

"G-Get it off!"

Riru chirped as water burst from it's mouth in a harsh stream like that of a fire hydrant being unsealed. The thief was hit in the back by the painful white jet and cried out. He raced onto the nearest pier and hopped a security gate. The guards on post simultaneously panicked and choked on their coffee while yelling after him. Before the guards could stop him, Lyra leaped over the gate, hot on the soaked man's heels.

"Move!" The man yelled, pushing passengers aside as he forced his way onto the Serenatis. He drew a pokeball from his belt and out came Professor Elm's stolen Totodile.

"Bubblebeam," he commanded.

Totodile roared and blew a flurry of bubbles into the corridors. People choked on the mist and foam. Lyra swatted at the stifling, cold bubbles. Nothing was going to stop her from getting that pokemon back from the thief. He pushed past the guards, and Lyra snuck through with speed and ease as they stumbled in confusion amidst the cloud of moisture. Lyra caught Caffeine in her arms and carried it through the corridors after the red-haired man.

"You douche!"

After a number of twists and turns, and then after a flight of stairs, she had lost him in an elegantly decorated promenade hall. Even worse, she had lost Ethan.

"...shit, where did he go?" Lyra hissed.

Caffeine began to squeal. Lyra glanced behind her at the stairs and heard the voices of a small group coming up the stairs. It was the security guards. Lyra took cover behind one of the wide, violet curtains near a window. She peered around a corner, ignoring the elderly couple who gave her questioning looks as they took their eyes from their magazines. They reeked of a sick, sweet-cigar odor.

The security team that came up the stairs and made their way through the promenade like a slow storm were dressed in black uniforms. A group of five; they were like no security guards she had ever seen. Printed on their jackets was a large, red, "R". Slung over their shoulders were assault rifles. The leader held a very large and well-equipped handgun.

The leader paused in the center of the promenade hall and smiled with pearly teeth and striking green eyes. Under his black cap was hair dyed a bold teal color. He looked like any other young man who hadn't grown out of his high school rebel phase, Lyra thought. The confident grin carried an air of cockiness, just like that Douchebag who had stolen Elm's Totodile.

"Good evening everyone, ladies and gentlemen," he spoke with a booming voice, crafted perfectly for theater, "I'm glad to have you all aboard tonight. I'd like to introduce ourselves as Team Rocket and we will be the thieves that heartlessly tear your money, valuables, and pokemon from you all."

As if on cue, the four rockets behind him each took aim at various positions in the promenade. Lyra pulled Caffeine close and took cover behind the heavy curtain. She heard people begin to panic.

"Don't all scream at once, I'm well aware that we're gorgeous people with a rabid fanbase," the leader said with an air of calm, "We'd like you to simply cooperate and begin turning over your valuables and no one will get hurt. Unless you try to play hero."

Lyra heard a gunshot. A man who had been dialing on his cell phone was suddenly empty handed as pieces of shattered metal and plastic sprayed in random directions.

"Good, good. Let that be an example. Cell phones are small buggers and I don't miss often," the leader said, "No one likes heroes anyway. It's all about the sexy villains these days, yeah? Alright everyone. Move out."

Lyra hid behind the curtains, unseen and afraid. What did the Douchebag lead her into?

"Your pokemon, now!" She heard one of the rockets demand from a sobbing woman.

"Please, no, it's my son's..."

"NOW, lady, damn it!"

The woman turned over the pokeball and Lyra pushed herself even further into the shadows. She wished she could just melt into the wall and disappear as the criminals made their way around the room. It wasn't long before their duffel bags were full of necklaces, jewelry, wallets, and pokeballs. When passengers tried to argue, their minds were quickly changed at gunpoint.

"We appreciate your kind donations of wallets, jewelry, and belongings of high monetary value," the leader said, pacing down to the end of the promenade, "Don't worry, it'll all go to a good cause."

Lyra looked down at Caffeine, who had stifled it's flame and looked up at her, shaking. She gathered up the mousy pokemon in her arms and heard a woman being to sob nearby. It was the elderly woman from before. The rocket forcefully pulled the mareep from her hands and sucked it up into a pokeball as it tried to escape. The pokeball was tossed into the duffel bag without care or concern. She heard footsteps the thief was approaching. Had he seen her?

Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the sound to fade.

"Alright team, good game. Let's move out. No bells in this batch, I presume?"

"None here," one of the four rockets said.

"Nope."

"No bells, boss."

"Nothin'."

"Well, nevertheless, we thank you all for your time and generous contributions. Have a nice day." The leader said to the terrified audience before leading his party to the end of the promenade. He pulled out a portable radio and spoke, "This is Proton to Atom; there were no bells located in Promenade A, do you copy? Anything down below deck?"

"No bells located yet, sir. All the luggage has been accounted for."

"Proton to Radium, do you copy?" Proton said.

"Loud and clear, sir." Radium's voice came.

"Any luck on those bells?"

"Negative, sir."

"Understood," Proton said with a frustrated sigh.

They disappeared into the next hall it was the ballroom at the center of the ship he began his speech again as the doors shut behind them, sealing the next screaming audience in with him.

Lyra was relieved to have gone unnoticed. She glanced out from behind the curtains once and then darted toward the door. It was sealed shut with some kind of pokemon's sludge. It smelled terrible.

"Koffing sludge..." A familiar voice came. It was the Douchebag.

"You!" Lyra barked, "What the hell did you get me mixed up in!"

The tall, red-haired man just looked down at her, scoffing almost, "What did I get you mixed up in? You followed me."

"You stole Elm's Totodile."

"He should have been paying better attention to the people he lets walk into his lab."

Lyra gave a frustrated sigh and shut her eyes, willing away the rage. He had a point; she had wandered into Elm's lab unnoticed on more than one occasion with Ethan. It had been fun to go play with the pokemon, but looking back, Elm was often too caught up in his research to notice just who was in and out of the lab. Still, it didn't justify the Douchebag's actions.

"Listen, Douchebag,"

"It's Silver," he corrected with a calm voice, tilting his head just slightly.

Lyra looked up at him, suddenly forgetting just what she had planned to say.

"...Silver..."

"Like the metal."

Lyra noticed just that same metal color in his eyes.

Silver began to walk away.

"H-hey! Where do you think you're going? Are you with them or something?"

Silver stopped and glared at her. Lyra wouldn't let the piercing look in his eyes scare her. She tightened her fists, ready to fight. It never mattered to her if her opponent was almost twice her size. She was victorious... most of the time.

"Don't lump me in with weaklings like Team Rocket."

With that, Silver made his way into the far hall of the promenade, near the entrance to the ballroom. He looked it over once and then disappeared into a side door. Lyra went after him with Caffeine at her heels. She opened up her pokegear and began to dial for the police. All she got, however, was a scrambled mess of screeches from her phone. She cursed and shut it before chasing Silver onto the deck.

* * *

: : : c h a p t e r . n o t e s : : :

Thank you all for the encouraging reviews! I'm really happy that you're liking it so far! I feel like it's been slow up till now, so I promise to make it go faster. :3 More action and more fun. Woo! And more Silver!

Ethan's been gone only half a chapter and I'm itching to write him already too. ^o^ The chaos that's going to ensue when these two run into each other...

Obligatory Artwork Plug: my deviantart gallery has some artwork based on this story. You can find it at (kousagi)(dot)(deviantart)(dot)(com) and it's located in the gallery. I've got some "redesigns" up that reflect the characters' boosted ages. ^_^

Stay Lovely!  
ツ k0usagi


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